Disposable fluid-handling articles are often produced on high-speed converting lines using continuous webs of fabrics, films, foams, elastics, etc. Many of these articles preferably include an elastic region or component. Typically the elastic component is covered on at least one side, and preferably two sides, by a nonwoven. This combination of nonwoven and elastic is referred to hereinafter as an elastomeric nonwoven laminate.
Elastomeric nonwoven laminates typically include elastic bonded to a nonwoven. The elastic may include elastic film or elastic strands, however, elastic strands are generally preferred over elastic films since strands require less material and provide flexibility in arrangement and stretch properties. In one such laminate, a plurality of elastic strands is joined to a nonwoven while the plurality of strands is in a stretched condition so that when the elastic strands relax, the nonwoven gathers between the locations where it is bonded to the elastic strands forming corrugations. The resulting laminate is stretchable to the extent that the corrugations allow the elastic to elongate. Such a laminate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415 to Vander Wielen, et al., issued Jan. 19, 1988.
Elastomeric nonwoven laminates with elastic strands may be produced by extruding a plurality of heated filaments onto a conveyor or roller where the filaments are cooled and transferred to a nonwoven. Alternatively, the plurality of strands may be unwound from a supply roll and joined to a nonwoven. In either case, arranging the strands uniformly on the nonwoven can be difficult. The elastic strands are typically transferred to the nonwoven and bonded by passing the combination through a nip formed between two rolls. During the transfer to the nonwoven, the elastic strands are typically unsupported. Due to vibrations and speed of operation, the strands tend to fall out of alignment, overlap, entangle, and bundle with neighboring strands. In addition the unsupported strands can break or stick to the conveyor and not transfer to the nonwoven at all. Broken strands can build up on equipment such as a conveyor or transfer roll which eventually results in downtime.
Consequently, it would be beneficial to provide a method and apparatus for producing an elastomeric nonwoven laminate that is capable of placing the plurality of continuous elastic strands in a controlled distribution on the mating nonwoven. In addition, it would be beneficial to provide a method and apparatus capable automatically capturing and threading elastic strands that fail to transfer to the nonwoven.